Mail-bag catcher.



No. 818,592. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906. W. T. & E. B. WHITESELL.

MAIL BAG OATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

w p lnventolls.

by [I /I No. 818,592. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906. W. T. & E. B. WHITESELL.

MAIL BAG GATCHER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Witnesses ea nventors m J by /v v Attorn eys ITED WPATENT OFFICE.

1 'lLLIAM T. WVHITESELL AND EDWVARD B. WVHITESELL, OF FISHERSVILLE,

VIRGINIA.

MAIL-BAG CATCH ER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

To MN 11-71mm it ntrty concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM T. VVHITE- SELL and EDWARD B. \VHITESELL,citizens of the United States, residing at F ishersville, in the countyof Augusta and State of Virginia, have invented a new and usefulMail-Bag Catcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in mail-bag catchin anddelivering mechanisms of that general class which are employed wheremail is received by and discharged from a moving train.

The object of the invention is to improve, simplify, and cheapen theconstruction of de vices of this character whereby their utility andefliciency are materially increased.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel form ofmail-crane for supporting a mail-bag in position to be delivered to thecar, said crane being also provided with means for simultaneouslyreceiving a mailsack from the car and automatically locking the same inconvenient position to be readily detached by the operator.

A still further object is to provide improved mechanism for attachmentto the mail-car and adapted to cooperate with a crane for receiving theincoming mail and delivering the outgoing mail while the train is inmotion.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arran ement of parts hereinafterfully described, illiistrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in form, proportions. and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a per spective view of a portion of a car, showing amail-sack in position to be delivered to the crane and a similar bag inposition on the crane and ready to be delivered to the car. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a mail-crane, showing the bag-delivering arms ininoperative position and a mail-bag locked in position on thereceiving-arm. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in perspective, ofthe interior of the mail-car, showing the mail-delivery and receivingmechanism swung inwardly against the side of the car.

Similar numerals of reference indicate cor responding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention we erect a crane standard or upright 5parallel with the railway-track and preferably adjacent to the stationat which the mail is to be received and delivered, said crane beingprovided at its upper end with a cross-arm 6, connected by inclinedbraces 7 to a bar 8, extending rearwardly from the standard, as shown.Secured to the front of the standard is a bracket 9, in which is mountedfor rotation one end of a vertical shaft 10, the opposite end of whichis journaled in a plate 11, fastened in any suitable manner to the topof the standard 5. Secured to and mounted for movement with the shaft 10is a horizontally-swinging bar 12, provided with a terminal head 13, towhich are hinged, as indicated at 13, oppositely-disposed pivotedcatcher-arms 14 and 15, one of which is adapted to engage the mail-sack16 when the car 17 is traveling in one direction and the adjacent arm toengage said sack when the car is traveling in the opposite direction.

The catcher-arms are normally maintained in horizontal alincment witheach other by means of braces 18, having their intermediate portionshinged at 19 and their opposite ends pivoted to the catcher-arms andswinging bar, respectively, there being a flat spring 20 secured to theterminal head 13 and bearing upon the free ends of the catcher-arms, asshown. By having the arms 14 and mounted in this manner when either armengages the sack 16 the impact of the bag will force the intermediatehinged portions of the braces toward the head of the bar 12, therebycausing the spring to swing the catcherarm carrying the mail-bagrearwardly against a stop-plate 21 and at the same time move the bar 12laterally into engagement with a catch '22 on the cross-arm 6, asclearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and in which position themail-bag may be readily removed by the operator after the train haspassed the station.

Mounted on the vertical shaft 10 are coilsprings 23 for centering theswinging bar 12 with respect to the standard 5, said springs alsoserving to impede the movement of the IOL bar and prevent injury theretoas the same is swung rearwardly into engagement with the catcher 22,there being suitable buffers 24 secured to the opposite ends of thecross-arm to receive the impact of said arm.

Secured to the standard 5 immediately below the vertical shaft 10 arespaced supporting-brackets 26, to which are pivoted, as indicated at 27,a pair of horizontally-disposed arms 28, adapted to support a mailbag 29in position to be delivered to the mailcrane of the car, said bag beingsupported on swinging clips 30, pivoted to the ends of the arms 28, asshown, so as to permit the bag to be readily detached. Fastened in anysuitable manner to the standard is a fiat spring 31, the opposite endsof which engage the arms 28 when the bag is supported thereon and whichserves to open or move the arms to inoperative position when the bag 29is detached, as bestshown in Fig. 2 of the draw ings.

Journaled on the car at one side of the opening therein is a mail-bagcatcher con slsting of a verticalshaft 32, provided with alaterally-extending arm 33, to which is pivoted, as indicated at 34, acatcher-arm 35, the latter being similar in construction to thecatcher-arms of the crane-standard and adapted to engage the mail-bagsupported between the pivoted arms 28 and deposit the same within thecar. The shaft 32 is provided with a coil-spring 36, the normal tendency of which is to hold the arm 33 at right angles to the side of thecar or in position to receive the mail-bag from the crane or stand ard5, said shaft being also provided with a ratchet-wheel 37, adapted toengage a pawl 38 for locking the arm 33 within the car when said arm isswung rearwardly against the tension of the spring 36 after engaging themail-bag, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Secured to theopposite side of the car-door opening and preferably near the topthereof are suitable brackets 39, in which is journaled the verticalshaft or rod 40 of the car-crane, said shaft being provided with a fixedarm 41 and a pivoted arm 42, between which are supported on pivotedclips 43 the mail-bag adapted to be delivered to the catcher-arms of thecrane-standard. Fastened to the shaft 40 is a flat spring 44, whichbears against the pivoted arm 42 when the mail-bag is suspended from thesupportingclips and serves to move said arm to released position whenthe bag is detached by the catcher-arm on the crane-standard. The arms41 and 42 are supported in position for delivering the mail-bag by meansof a springcatch 45, fastened to the side of the car and engaging thepivoted arm 42, there being a coil-spring 46 mounted on the shaft 40 forswinging the arms rearwardly within the car when the bag is detached andthe pivoted arm 42 released from the spring-catch by the action of thefiat spring 44. By securing cross-arms to the arms 41 and 42 as manymail-bags may be supported in position for delivery to the catcher-armsof the crane standard as desired.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art, and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a mail-bagcatcher and deliverer, a trackstandard, a laterallyextending bar mountedfor swinging movement in a hori zontal plane on said standard,oppositelydisposed catcher-arms carried by the bar, and bag-supportingarms pivoted to the standard.

2. In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, a track standard, a laterallyextending bar mounted for swinging movement on said standard,catcher-arms carried by the bar, a spring for centering the bar withrespect to the standard, and bag-supporting arms pivoted to saidstandard.

3. In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, a track-standard provided with across-arm, a laterally-extending bar mounted for swinging movement onsaid standard and adapted to engage the cross-arm, catcher-arms carriedby the bar, means for locking the latter in engagement with thecross-arm, and pivoted bag-supporting arms pivoted to said standard.

4. In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, a track-standard, alaterally-extending bar mounted for swinging movement on said standard,catcher-arms pivoted to the bar, and braces pivoted to the catcher-armsand bar, respectively, and having their intermediate portions hinged tothereby permit the catcher-arms to swing rearwardly and engage the bag.

5. In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, a track-standard, alaterally-extending bar mounted for swinging movement on said standardand provided with a stop-plate, catcher-arms pivoted to the bar, aspring secured to the bar and engaging the catcherarms, and bracespivoted to the catcher-arms and bar, respectively, and having theirintermediate portions hinged to thereby permit the spring to swing thearms rearwardly in engagement with the stop-plate and hold the mail-bagon said bar.

6. Ina mail-bag catcher and deliverer, a track-standard provided with across-arm, a laterallyextending bar mounted for swinging movement on thestandard and adapted to engage the cross-arm, catcher-arms pivoted tothe bar and adapted to swing rearwardly against said bar for supportingthe mail-bag thereon, a spring for normally centering the bar withrespect to the standard, and means for locking said bar in engagementwith the cross-arm.

a laterally-extending bar mounted for swing ing movement on the standardand adapted to engage said catches, catcher-arms pivoted to the bar forengagement with a mail-bag and adapted to fold rearwardly against saidbar, and a spring for normally centering the laterally-extending barwith respectto said standard.

8. In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, a track-standard provided with across-arm, a

i 5'shaft joiirnaled on the standard, a laterallyextending bar securedto the shaft and adapted to swing rearwardly in engagement with thecross-arin, catcher-arms pivoted to the bar and extending in horizontalalinement on each side thereof, a spring for normally cen tering the barwith respect to the standard, and means for locking said bar against thecross-arm when said bar is swung rearwardly.

O. In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, a

2 5 ti'iu-li-standard, a pair of bag-supporting arms pivoted thereto,and a spring having an intermediate portion thereof secured to thestandard and its opposite ends bearing against the bag-supporting armsfor moving said arms to 0 inc ieiative )osition when the ba is released.3 i n ll). In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, a ti'aeli-standardprovided with a crossarm, a latei'allv-exteiiding bar mounted forswinging movement on the standard and adapted 5 to engage the cross-arm,catcher-arms car ried by the bar, a spring for normally center ing saidbar with respect to the standard, a pair of bag-supporting arms pivotedto the standard below the laterally-extending bar,

0 and a spring having its intermediate portion secured to the standardand its opposite ends engaging the pivoted supporting-arms for movingsaid arms to inoperative position when the bag is detached.

11. In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, the combination with a carhaving a door opening therein, of a vertical shaft journaled on the carat said opening and provided with a fixed and a pivoted bag-supportingarm, a catch secured to the car and adapted to engage the pivoted armfor holding said arms in operative position, a spring for disengagingthe pivoted arm from the catch when the mail-bag is detached, and aspring carried by the shaft for swinging said arms rearwardly within thecar.

12. In a maiLbag catcher and deliverer, the combination with a carhaving a door opening formed therein, of a vertical shaft journaled onthe car at said opening and provided with a fixed and a pivotedbag-supporting arm, locking means carried by the car and engaging thepivoted arm for holding said arms in operative position, means fordisengaging the pivoted arm when the mailbag is released, and means forautomatically swinging said arms to inoperative position within the car.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaliixed our signa tures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM 'I. \VIII'IESELL. EDWARD B. WIIIIESELL.

IVitnesses as to illiam 'I. Whitesell:

E. P. Wiii'rEsELL, n. BAKER.

WVitnesses as to Edward B. \Vhitesell:

J. L. BARKSDALE, J. FRANK WrLLsoN.

